My Body Is A Cage
by Vampire Weekend
Summary: His wound was open. Her blood flowed in. Sam gets sick, really sick. HIV sick. What are the brothers going to do when one of the dynamic duo is down… permanently? Sam is seventeen and Dean is twenty-one.
1. Chapter 1

Set pre-series. Sam is seventeen and Dean is twenty-one.

Summary: His wound was open. Her blood flowed in. Sam gets sick, really sick. HIV sick. What are the brothers going to do when one of the dynamic duo is down… permanently? Wee!chesters.

Rating: T for Teen

Warnings: Language, deals with deadly illness.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural. I've never owned Supernatural. There is an excellent chance that I will never own Supernatural. Please don't sue. I also don't own the song featured at the beginning of the story. They belong to their respective artists.

Author's note: This just came to me while reading a fan-fiction. It occurred to me that Sam and Dean are almost always around blood, whether it be there's or someone else's. I thought that Sam should be the one to get sick mostly because I love it when Dean feels the need to protect and take care of his little brother. I hope you like this.

I don't have AIDS or HIV but I've researched the symptoms and I'm trying to be as accurate as I can. Any suggestions or information will be welcomed with open arms.

**My Body Is A Cage**

Chapter One: Everybody Hurts

_When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone, when you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on. Don't let yourself go, everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes. Sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along. When your day is night alone, hold on, hold on. If you feel like letting go, hold on. When you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on. Everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends. Everybody hurts. Don't throw your hand. Oh, no. Don't throw your hand. If you feel like you're alone, no, no, no, you are not alone. If you're on your own in this life, the days and nights are long, when you think you've had too much of this life to hang on. Well, everybody hurts sometimes, everybody cries. And everybody hurts sometimes. And everybody hurts sometimes. So, hold on, hold on._

_-REM_

Sam felt like his head was no longer connected to his body. His stomach twisted like it was being tied in a knot and he rested his head against the cool porcelain. Every bone in his body ached.

The pains had come a few of nights ago and since then, Sam felt awful. Dean joked that Sam obviously didn't have the iron stomach like he had and should stop eating like he did. But soon, the situation was no longer funny. Along with the nausea and dizziness came the fevers and chills.

It felt like every time he moved, painful shivers would craw up his back, refusing to be ignored. Sometimes he would get icy cold and, other times, steaming hot.

Dean had tried to convince Sam that they needed to call their dad and tell him that Sam was sick. Sam refused, not wanting to interrupt their dad's hunt just because he caught a bug.

"Hey, Sam," Dean said softly, pulling Sam's hair back out of his face. "Still feeling like crap, huh?"

Sam nodded before heaving into the toilet again. Tears sprung into his eyes when his throat started to burn.

Three minutes later, Sam weakly stood up, ignoring Dean's attempts to help him.

"You alright now?"

"Yeah, I think so."

When Dean noticed the flush of Sam's cheeks, he touched his younger brother's forehead. He quickly withdrew it, surprised by the hotness of it.

"Damn, Sammy."

"It's Sam," the seventeen-year old protested, closing his eyes briefly to collect himself.

With assistance from Dean, Sam laid on the motel room, itchy, probably dirty, blankets covering his body.

Opening the first-aid kit, Dean pulled out the thermometer they got in Phoenix a couple of months ago when the old one broke.

"I'm going to take your temperature, okay?"

Sam consented and Dean slipped the cold metal under his brother's tongue.

Dean cursed when he saw the temperature: One hundred and three point five. That was too high, _way _too high. Dean debated in his head whether or not to go to the hospital. If they did, the hospital staff could realize that they had fake insurance cards and refuse to treat Sam. Or worse, they could take Sam away from them. But if they didn't… no. Dean didn't want to think of the possible outcomes that could come if Sam didn't get medical treatment.

"Come on, Sammy. We have to go get you checked out, okay?"

Sam wanted to protest but was too tired to make a fuss. Dean grabbed onto his upper arm to help him get out of bed. The teenager took a few steps on his own before he collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

Alarmed, Dean frantically felt Sam's wrist for a pulse. It was there, but weak and inconsistent.

Quickly taking out his cell phone from his jean pocked, Dean called 911.

"This is 911. What is your emergency?"

Dean tried to keep the panic out of his voice, but failed. "My brother. He-he fell. He had a fever and he just collapsed.

The operator's voice remained calm and collected. "Where are you?"

"Sunset motel just off the freeway. Room 7."

"Okay, an ambulance is on the way, sir. Was the temperature very high?"

"Yeah, way past one hundred."

"How old are you? Your brother?"

"I'm twenty-one and Sammy's just seventeen."

Dean could tell that the operator was typing something because of the clicks he heard in the background.

"Alright, sir. Would you like me to stay on the line?"

Dean shook his head, though aware that the operator couldn't see him. "No, I'm alright. Just… please get them to hurry."

"I will. Goodbye, sir."

Dean turned off the cell phone, running to the motel bathroom and got a semi-clean washcloth and poured cold water on it. Ringing it out in the sunk, he patted it on Sam's sweaty forehead.

"Come on, man," Dean gently said, emotion thick in his voice. "Come on, wake up."

A few minutes later, Dean heard sirens from outside the motel.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

OOO

In movies, when the main character is unconscious in a hospital bed, it seems so easy for them to wake up.

Their love interest would hold their hand and tell him or her that they are eternally devoted to them and then – Poof!

All of a sudden, the main lead wakes up, feeling just fine.

Sam was an example that this was not true at all. He felt that sand was over his eyelids, heavy and coarse. His lips were dry and he could feel a sharp pain in his side.

Using the little energy he had left, Sam forced his eyelids to open.

He looked around the white room for a few moments before realizing that he was in a hospital.

"Dean," he croaked out, licking his lips. "Are you there?"

He heard loud thumps before feeling a warm hand removing the hair out of his eyes.

"Hey, Sammy. Feeling better?" Dean's smile was wide but even in his semi-conscious state, Sam could see the worry in his eyes.

"Yeah, still a little sore," he whispered. "But better. How long have I been here?"

"About three days. You were pretty out of it."

Sam's eyes bulged, "What about dad? Where is he?"

"I got a hold of him a few hours ago. He's on his way."

"What's wrong with me?"

Dean shrugged and then said, frustration all to clear in his voice, "I don't know. The doctors did some blood work when you first came here, but I don't know yet."

"Water?"

"What?"

"Can I have some water?"

"Oh! Yeah," he quickly got up. "Of course. Um… just don't go anywhere, alright?"

"I can't go anywhere even if I wanted to, Dean."

Dean rubbed his neck, clearly feeling awkward. "Uh… yeah, that's right. I'll tell the doctor that you're awake too."

The older brother looked at Sam one last time, before he entered the hallway.

God, he hated hospitals. The patients were being wheeled in and out of rooms, all looking worse than the last. The smell, that awful anti-bacterial soap smell, burned the inside of his nose, making him sneeze like crazy.

He saw that Sam's doctor, Doctor Abraham, was talking a nurse.

"Doctor?" Dean said out loud, trying to get Abraham's attention.

Abraham looked Dean's way, giving Dean a sad smile. That smile made Dean's heart stop.

"Yes, Dean?"

His voice was low and caring.

"Sam's awake. He's also, uh, thirsty so if he could get some water that would be great."

Abraham nodded. "I'll get one of the nurses to do it. Why don't you come with me back to your brother's room, all right? We have some stuff we need to discuss."

They walked to Sam's room in silence.

Abraham smiled at Sam when they finally came to the room. Dean was pleased to see that a half-empty glass of water was on Sam's bedside table.

"Hello, Sam. I'm Doctor Abraham. I'm the one who's been treating you. How are you feeling?"

"Better then I did, Doctor," he looked at Dean's tired face before asking. "Do you know what's wrong with me?"

The doctor gave Sam the same sad smile Dean had seen earlier. "Yes, but I'd like to ask you some questions first before I tell you," he looked at Dean and then Sam. "Would you like your brother to stay?"

"Yes, please," he answered, trying to be polite.

"Alright," he pulled a pen out of his pocket and a small notebook from his coat. "Are you sexually active?"

Sam could feel his ears turn red. "No."

"You're a virgin?"

"Yes, sir."

Dean scowled at Doctor Abraham. "What does that have to do with what he has?"

"Please let me continue, Dean. Okay, Sam. Have you ever done any drugs or shared needles with anyone?"

Sam shook his head.

"Just tell us what's wrong with him!"

Doctor Abraham took a deep breath. "This is never easy, especially when dealing with someone as young as Sam. The test results came back about twenty minutes ago. Sam, you tested positive for HIV."

Dean's heart dropped and Sam gasped.

-

End Of Chapter One

-

Short, I know. I'm sorry about that too but I really wanted to write this quickly before I lost the idea. I hope that you liked it. Reviews are what drive me and keep me writing like crazy. Please review.

I'll respond to all reviews if I can find the email address.


	2. Chapter Two: Hurt

Set pre-series. Sam is seventeen and Dean is twenty-one.

Summary: His wound was open. Her blood flowed in. Sam gets sick, really sick. HIV sick. What are the brothers going to do when one of the dynamic duo is down… permanently? Sam is seventeen and Dean is twenty-one.

Rating: T for Teen

Warnings: Language, deals with deadly illness.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural. I've never owned Supernatural. There is an excellent chance that I will never own Supernatural. Please don't sue. I also don't own the song featured at the beginning of the story. They belong to their respective artists.

Author's Note: Thank you for all the positive reviews. I'm glad that you guys thought that I approached the subject with the sensitivity it deserves. Please keep the feedback coming!

This is also a pretty short chapter. Blame it on my "Grapes of Wrath" final exam and my biology test Tuesday. But think of it this way, shorter chapters means I can update faster!

-

**My Body Is A Cage**

Chapter Two: Hurt

_I hurt myself today to see if I still feel. I focus on the pain, the only thing that's real. The needle tears a hole, the old familiar sting. Try to kill it all away but I remember everything. What have I become, my sweetest friend? Everyone I know goes away in the end. And you could have it all my empire of dirt. I will let you down. I will make you hurt. I wear this crown of thorns upon my liar's chair. Full of broken thoughts I cannot repair._

_Beneath the stains of time, the feelings disappear. You are someone else. I am still right here. What have I become, my sweetest friend? Everyone I know goes away in the end. And you could have it all, my empire of dirt. I will let you down. I will make you hurt. If I could start again, a million miles away, I would keep myself. I would find a way. _

_-Nine Inch Nails_

-

Doctor Abraham took a deep breath. "This is never easy, especially when dealing with someone as young as Sam. The test results came back about twenty minutes ago. Sam, you tested positive for HIV."

Dean's heart dropped and Sam gasped.

"What?" Dean's voice went high and he cringed when he heard it.

"Sam is HIV positive," the doctor repeated. "I'm sorry."

Sam made a strangled noise deep in his throat before he put his hands over his eyes, sobbing.

This snapped Dean out of his stupor and he joined his younger brother in the hospital bed and wrapped his arms around him.

"It'll be okay, Sammy. It'll be okay," he looked at the doctor. "How did this happen?"

"If it wasn't from sexual contact, then probably through blood. Have you been close to any blood or had an open wound lately, Sam?"

Sam lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot from crying and his nose red. "Yeah, I have."

"Could your brother somehow have been close to the infected blood?"

The seventeen-year old shook his head. "N-No. It was just me. I just," Sam choked through his tears. "I didn't know that she was. If… If I did… I'm so sorry, Dean. I'm so sorry."

"No," Dean said harshly, forcing Sam to look at him in the eye. "No, Sam. It's not your fault. Like you said, you didn't know."

The doctor looked at the brothers, pity clearly showing in his green eyes. He'd been a doctor for more than half of his life now but it never got any easier. Never. Breaking terrible news like this was so hard, especially when talking about someone as young as Sam. He had his whole life ahead of him, worry-free teenage life, and now it was burdened on his shoulders.

"I'll leave you two alone. When your father comes, I'll redirect him to your room so you guys can have a talk with him. Please press the nurse button if you have any questions or concerns you need to tell me. Later on this afternoon, we'll talk more about options, okay?"

Dean nodded, Sam's head on his chest. He could feel his brother's deep, unsteady breaths on his skin. He rubbed the boy's back in circles in an effort to comfort him.

"We'll get Dad to come fix this, okay? He'll make everything better."

"He-he can't, Dean! He can't!"

"Of course he can, Sammy. He's Dad for goodness sakes. He can fix it!"

As if on cue, John Winchester entered the hospital room, eyes wild. He sighed audibly in relief when he saw that his youngest son was awake and, though a little pale, looking healthy.

"What's going on?" John's gruff voice demanded.

Dean swallowed, looking at Sam to ask if he wanted to break the news to their father. Sam shook his head, not making eye contact with John.

"Sam's sick, Dad. Really, really sick."

John furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

There was an awkward pause.

Seeing that Dean wouldn't, or rather couldn't, say it, Sam took the few bits of courage he had left and said, "I have HIV, Dad. I got HIV."

"What?" John's voice did what it always did when he was concerned or worried about his boys. It got loud and angry, threatening.

"He has HIV."

"Dean, shut up! Sam," he turned towards Sam. "How the hell did this happen? How could you be so stupid? Damn it! Haven't you ever used a fucking condom or something?"

This brought out the 'big brother' instinct in Dean. "Dad, be quiet. He didn't get it from having sex! He got it because one of your stupid hunts, a victim's blood got into his bloodstream! _You're the_ reason that he's sick!"

The moments the words left his lips, the twenty-one year old knew that he shouldn't have said that. He didn't even have to look at Sam's shocked look or his father's sad, almost resentful, face either. He just knew it.

"How dare you talk to me that way? I'm your father!"

"And he's my brother!"

"Guys," Sam said so softly that it was amazing that his two family members could hear him. "Please just be quiet for a second. I'm sick. It's really bad, I get it. I could… I could die, I know. So just… stop arguing for one second! Please! I hate having to be the mature one."

John and Dean muttered an apology before getting back to business.

"Where's your doctor, Sam?"

"I don't know." Sam said quietly.

"I'll go get him," Dean volunteered, patting Sam on the shoulders lightly before getting up. "I'll be back in a second."

They nodded and Dean left the room.

"You okay, Sammy?" John asked tenderly, sitting on the foot of Sam's bed.

Sam shrugged. "I think so. I'm tired and a little sore. I'm just trying to wrap my arms around the situation. It's really big."

John felt himself choking up. "Yeah, yeah, it really is."

Tears welled up in Sam's eyes again. "I'm going to die from this, aren't I?"

John shook his head furiously. "No! No, Sammy, you're not! You'll make it through just fine. You'll… I'll find someone to make this better. I'm sure Bobby or Pastor Jim will know someone who can make this go away. Maybe even Caleb. Okay?"

Sam nodded, pulling a blanket over his shoulder, shivering a little.

"Are you cold?"

"Just a little."

John got up, clearing his throat. "I'll go see if I can get you an extra blanket, alright?"

"Okay."

Before John left, he turned towards his son, unshed tears glistening in his eyes. "You're going to be just fine, Sammy.

"You promise?"

"I promise," John confirmed. "I promise."

-

End of Chapter One

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That was incredibly short and I'm a little disappointed with it to be honest with you. I don't think I write confrontations too well because I'm always afraid that I'll go overboard with the exclamation points. Please tell me your thoughts, feedback and concerns in a review. Reviews make me happy inside and encourage me to keep writing and working through writer's block.

I'll respond to everyone who reviews if I can find the email address.

Also, happy Valentine's Day everyone!


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